Earlier text: THE RESURRECTIONTHE SANCTUARY OF THE BIBLE.
By John Nevins Andrews
The word sanctuary in the Bible, except in the few cases where it is used figuratively, refers always to the place where the high priest ministers before God for the sins of the people. It was first the tabernacle erected by Moses; then it was the temple built by Solomon, which was a more glorious structure than the tabernacle, but with the same two holy places; and when the typical sacrifices ended in the death of Christ, who is the true sin-offering, the earthly sanctuary, or holy places, ceased to be the center of God's worship, and Christ entered the temple in heaven as a great High Priest—the minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. The temple of God in heaven is the sanctuary from which the psalmist says the Lord beheld the earth (Ps. 102 : 19), and which Jeremiah speaks of as being where the throne of God is found. Jer. 17 : 12; Rev. 16 : 17. The ministration in the earthly sanctuary could not actually take away sins; for it had only the blood of bulls and goats to offer. Heb. 10 : 4. It was ordained for the purpose of instructing men with reference to the work of Christ, and of encouraging them to look forward to his work. It is a shadow or representation of the service of Christ in the sanctuary of God in heaven. Heb. 8 : 5; 10 : 1; Col. 2 : 17. It took one year to complete the round of service in the earthly sanctuary, at the end of which the cleansing of the sanctuary took place. The round of service was repeated each year, even as a shadow is renewed each day. But the ministration of Christ which casts this shadow fills out each part of the work once for all, and is not repeated. We shall therefore find the study of the service in the earthly sanctuary full of instruction as to the work of Christ in the sanctuary above. The ministration in the first apartment occupied the entire year, with the exception of one day, which was devoted to work in the second apartment, or most holy place, to close up the work which had been wrought in the first apartment. The work in the first apartment was on this wise: When a man repented of his sin, he brought a sin-offering to the priest to the door of the sanctuary. Then he confessed his sin to the priest, and put his hand upon the head of his offering to indicate the transfer of the guilt from himself to his offering. Then the victim was slain because of that guilt thus transferred to it, and the blood, representing the life of the victim, was taken by the priest and carried into the sanctuary, and sprinkled there before God. This act was the offering of the life of an innocent victim in the place of the life of him who had broken the law of God, and it was the transference of that man's guilt from himself to the sanctuary of God. See Lev. 4 and the parallel scriptures. This243was the most important feature of the work in the first apartment, and by it the guilt of the penitents was transferred from themselves to the tabernacle. On the tenth day of the seventh month, which was called the day of atonement, the ministration was transferred to the second apartment, or most holy place. Lev. 16. By God's direction, the high priest on this day caused two goats to be brought to the door of the sanctuary. On these he was to cast lots. One was for the Lord, the other was for Azazel. Then he slew the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and took his blood to present it before God as a sin offering in the most holy place, sprinkling it upon the mercy-seat. He did this for two purposes: 1. To make atonement for the people. 2. To cleanse the sanctuary by removing from it the sins of the people of God. Lev. 16 : 15–19. The sanctuary being cleansed, the high priest comes out of the building, and having caused the other goat to be brought which was for Azazel, he lays both his hands upon his head, and confesses over him all the transgressions of the children of Israel in all their sins. These he puts upon the head of the goat, and sends him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And it is said that "the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited." Verses 20–22. The work of the high priest on this great day of atonement was for the purpose of completing the work which had been partially accomplished in the first apartment. By the work in that apartment, the sins had been transferred to the sanctuary through the blood of sin-offering. By the work in the second apartment, the sanctuary is cleansed and the sins of the people of God blotted out. Such was the work in the earthly sanctuary, and such was the cleansing of the sanctuary, as set forth in the example and shadow of heavenly things. The earthly sanctuary was only made as the pattern of the sanctuary in heaven. Heb. 8 and 9. Itself and its services pertained only to the first covenant. Heb. 9 : 1. With the introduction of the new covenant came the real sanctuary of God, the tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man. Heb. 8 : 1, 2. While the first tabernacle stood, it signified that the way into the holy places of the heavenly temple was not opened. Heb. 9 : 8. But when our Lord ascended on high, he became a great High Priest, and by his own blood he entered the temple of God. Verses 11, 12. The order of his ministration is clearly indicated by the service in the two apartments of the earthly sanctuary. Heb. 8 : 5; 9 : 8–12; 10 : 1. And we are able to trace the ministration of Christ in these two apartments of the temple above in the New Testament. Thus, when John looked into the temple of God in heaven, he saw the Father sitting upon the throne, and before the throne were seven lamps burning. Rev. 4. In this place also he saw the Son of God. Rev. 5. Before the throne also stood the golden altar of incense. Rev. 8 : 3. These things do clearly mark the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, and show that this was the place where our Lord began his ministration as our High Priest. But there is a time when his ministration is to be within the second apartment. This is marked in John's statement of the events under the seventh trumpet: "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." Rev. 11 : 19. The ark marks the second apartment as the seven lamps and the golden altar of incense mark the first. The second apartment is therefore opened under the seventh angel, and the days (or years) at the beginning of his voice constitute the period in which the mystery of God or work of the gospel for fallen man is finished. Rev. 10 : 7; Eph. 3 : 4–6. It is certain, therefore, that as there was a time each year devoted to the finishing up of the round of service in "the example and shadow of heavenly things" so is there such a period in the conclusion of Christ's ministration, when once for all our High Priest finishes his work of priesthood; and as this work in the former dispensation took place in the second apartment, so also under the new covenant does this work find its accomplishment within the second veil by the ark of the ten commandments. The work in the second apartment of the earthly sanctuary does not therefore represent the work of the whole gospel dispensation, but only of that part of it devoted to the finishing of the mystery of God. The work within the second apartment was for the cleansing of the sanctuary, and this was performed by the high priest with blood, and when it was accomplished the sins of the people were blotted out. It was, therefore, an event of the greatest importance to the people of God. The heavenly sanctuary is to be cleansed, and for the same reason that the earthly sanctuary was cleansed. So Paul testifies in Heb. 9 : 23. The same word which Paul uses to express the purification in this text is used in the Septuagint version of Daniel 8 : 14, for cleansing. The prophecy of Daniel shows us that the sanctuary of God is cleansed in the last days of the new covenant dispensation. The sanctuary of the new covenant is in heaven. Heb. 8 : 1, 2. This heavenly sanctuary is to be cleansed; for Paul affirms it. Heb. 9 : 23. The time marked for its cleansing is that fixed by John for the opening of the temple in heaven and for the finishing of the mystery of God. Rev. 11 : 19; 10 : 7. The cleansing of the sanctuary is the removal from it of the sins of the people of God that had been borne into it by the High Priest, and their blotting out from the record that stands against the saints, preparatory to their being placed upon the head of the scape goat, or Azazel. Now this Azazel, as the word is in the original, or scape-goat, as some translations render it, can be no other than Satan; for the being that receives the sins of the righteous after the High Priest has finished his work in the sanctuary, can be no other than Satan, the author of sin. The word Azazel was understood by the ancient people of God to mean Satan. When, therefore, the goat was sent into a land not inhabited, it represents the fact that Satan at the conclusion of Christ's work as priest shall be cast into the bottomless pit. Rev. 20. The treading under foot of the sanctuary is not performed by literally trampling it in the dust. It is trodden under foot in the same manner that men are represented as treading under foot the Son of God who ministers in that sanctuary. Heb. 10 : 29. But does Daniel's vision really take in the heavenly sanctuary? We know that the earthly sanctuary as understood by him was the temple of God. Dan. 9 : 17, 26. His view was in exact harmony with that of Paul in Heb. 9 : 1–5. And ought we not to understand that the entire 2300 days belong to the temple in old Jerusalem? Such is the view taken by some, and yet it is not at all in harmony with the statement of Gabriel. The entire period of 2300 days does not belong to old Jerusalem; for Gabriel said, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city." The words literally translated from the Hebrew are, "Seventy weeks are cut off upon thy people, and upon thy holy city." Dan. 9 : 24. So we have the highest authority for saying that only 490 of the 2300 days pertain to the earthly sanctuary. And it is worthy of notice that the actual transition from the earthly sanctuary to that of the new covenant, which is the heavenly, is in close proximity to the end of the 490 days. And this is not all. Gabriel introduces the heavenly sanctuary itself, for the last event mentioned under the seventy weeks is the anointing of the most holy. In the Hebrew, this is the anointing of the holy of holies. This cannot mean Christ, but must mean the sanctuary of God. It cannot mean the earthly sanctuary, for that was left of God at this very time (Matt. 23 : 38), and was, with all the typical system, here set aside. The anointing of the sanctuary was that which prepared the way for the ministration therein. Lev. 8 : 10. The ministration in the earthly sanctuary was now finished, and that in the heavenly was about to commence. The sanctuary, therefore, which at this time was anointed, was that which at this very point took the place of the earthly sanctuary. It was the temple of God in heaven which Gabriel then brings to Daniel's view. The 2300 days do, therefore, embrace the closing period of the earthly sanctuary and the entire history of the ministration in the sanctuary of the new covenant. They end in the last days of the new-covenant dispensation, and the cleansing of the sanctuary is the consummation of the work of our great High Priest therein. The nature of that work we will now briefly indicate. The work of the judgment is divided into two parts. The first part is the investigative judgment, which takes place in the heavenly sanctuary, God the Father sitting in judgment. The second part is the execution of the judgment, and is committed wholly to Christ, who comes to our earth to accomplish this work. John 5 : 22–27; Jude 14, 15. It is while the investigative judgment is in session that the cleansing of the sanctuary takes place. Or, to speak more accurately, the cleansing of the sanctuary is identical with the work of the investigative judgment. This part of the judgment is described in Daniel 7 : 9–14. God the Father sits upon the throne of judgment. Those who stand before the Father are the angels. Compare Rev. 5 : 11. It is not upon earth, for the Father does not come to our earth. It is before the second advent of Christ, for Christ comes to our earth as a king sitting upon his own throne (Matt. 25 : 31, 34; Luke 19 : 12, 15; 2 Tim. 4 : 1), but this tribunal of the Father is the very place where he is crowned king. Dan. 7 : 13, 14. It is the time and place where our Lord concludes his priestly office, and must, therefore, be in the second apartment of the sanctuary above. Rev. 10 : 7; 11 : 15, 18, 19. When the Saviour comes, he gives immortality to the righteous dead. 1 Cor. 15 : 23, 51–55; 1 Thess. 4 : 15–17. The rest of the dead are left until the resurrection of the unjust. Rev. 20. But those who are thus made immortal were previously accounted worthy of that great salvation. Luke 20 : 35. There can be no examination afterward to ascertain whether they shall be saved or lost, for they are put in possession of eternal life at the moment when the trumpet sounds. And such, also, is the case with the living righteous. They are changed to immortality in the same moment with the dead in Christ. 1 Thess. 4 : 15–17. These are previously judged worthy of this great salvation (Luke 21 : 36), and can never afterward be subjected to trial for the determination of this point. The decision who shall have eternal life has, therefore, been made before Christ descends to execute the judgment. The books are examined before the deliverance of the saints. Dan. 12 : 1. The opening of the books is described in Dan. 7 : 9, 10. The book of life shows who have ever set out in the service of God. Luke 10 : 20; Phil. 4 : 3. The book of God's remembrance shows the record of their faithfulness in his cause, and whether they have made clean work in overcoming. Mal. 3 : 16. Other books contain the record of men's evil deeds. Rev. 20 : 12, 13. As the object of this final work in the sanctuary is to determine who are worthy of everlasting life, no cases will come before this tribunal except those who have had their names entered in the book of life. All others are left out of this investigation as having never become partakers in Christ's atoning work. The investigation will determine who have overcome their sins; and these will have their sins blotted from the record, and their names retained in the book of life. It will also determine who have not overcome; and these will have their names blotted from the book of life, Rev. 3 : 5, and their sins will be retained in the record, to be visited with retribution in the resurrection to damnation. The righteous need a high priest until their sins are blotted out. They cannot be blotted out till the judgment; for God has decreed to bring every work into judgment, whether good or evil. Eccl. 12 : 13, 14; 3 : 17. He certainly cannot bring any record into judgment, after he has blotted it out. The blotting out is therefore the last act of our High Priest, and is done when the Father has counted each person worthy of this; which will only be when the High Priest has shown from the record in the book of God's remembrance that he has actually overcome. The blotting out of sins (Acts 3 : 19) is therefore the great work which brings our Lord's priesthood to a conclusion. As this is an individual work, it evidently begins with the first generation of the righteous, and so comes down to the last, that is, to those who are alive at the coming of Christ. It is the time of the dead that they should be judged. Rev. 11 : 18, 19. The first angel gives notice to the inhabitants of the earth that the hour of God's judgment has come. Rev. 14 : 6, 7. The living are still on probation when this solemn announcement is made to mankind. The proclamation of the third angel, which is made while Christ is closing up his work in the sanctuary, is designed to prepare the living for the decision of the judgment. When the cases of the living are reached, probation closes up forever. The decree goes forth from the throne of God, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; . . . and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. 22 : 11. The sins of the overcomers being blotted out, and the sanctuary cleansed, the Son of God is no longer needed as a great High Priest. He therefore ceases from the office forever and becomes a king for the deliverance and glorification of his people, and for the destruction of all transgressors. Dan. 7 : 13, 14. Satan, the author of sin, receives his dreadful burden when the work in the sanctuary is closed, and will bear it with him to the lake of fire. It is of infinite consequence to us who live in the time when Christ is closing up his priesthood, that we understand the work which he is performing, and that we so walk in the light as to share in his great salvation. Poor, Depraved Human Nature.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
It is a wonder that Heaven undertook to save men. Many wonder at the representation of the Scriptures, that so few find the way to life; but, viewing humanity as it is, the greater wonder is that any of so perverse a race can be saved. Men can hear the story of Calvary and the cross; can have the great sacrifice of Heaven set before them, the labors and sufferings and death of the Son of God in behalf of a world of sinners; and then wish to share in the redemption and salvation thus dearly bought, if they could do so without bearing the cross! If the world with all their surroundings and worldly interests favored it, they would obey the word of God and keep his commandments; but as it is, obedience cannot be given—it is out of the question! Oh! the astonishing ingratitude of fallen human nature! Had Jesus shunned the cross, and chosen not to suffer, there would have been no hope for us. We wish to share in the benefit, but not in the sufferings! But Jesus has said, "Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me cannot be my disciple." And an apostle has declared it "our reasonable service," in view of "the mercies of God," to offer ourselves a "living sacrifice" to God and his cause. Hence if we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him; but if we deny him he will also deny us. Is it not just and right that a sacrifice on our part is required? Yet how few are willing to make any real sacrifice in the cause of Christ. And yet they hope to be saved! None but those who have followed Christ will be at home in his presence. Those who have been ashamed of Christ here, will be ashamed of themselves, if introduced to his presence in glory. R. F. COTTRELL. REPENTANCE begins in the humiliation of the heart and ends in reformation of the life. He that repents of sin as sin, implicitly repents of all sin. You cannot repent too soon. There is no time like to-day! Yesterday is gone, to-morrow is God's, not your own. And think how sad it will be to have your evidences to seek, when your cause is to be tried; to have your oil to buy when you should have it to burn! If we put off our repentance to another day, we have a day more to repent of and a day less to repent in. Let the hopes of mercy encourage to the exercise of repentance. Turn to God, and he will turn to you, and then you are happy though all the world turn against you. If we think amiss of Christ we shall never believe; if we think well of sin, we shall never repent. If we study to honor God, we cannot do it better than by confessing our sins, and laying ourselves low at the feet of Christ. Reliance is the essence of faith, Christ is the object of faith, the word is the food, and obedience the proof; so that true faith is depending upon Christ for salvation in a way of obedience, as He is offered in the word. Justifying faith is always attended with universal obedience.—Mason. Our Faith and Hope.
By James White
TEXT: “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” 1 Pet. 3:15. THE popular clergy may claim that there are certain positions of the Bible which are mysterious, and charge us with prying into the hidden things of God. The prophet says, however, “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophecy?” Amos 3:6-8. The book of Revelation especially is called a mysterious book. Thus the writer was taught from his youth. Our godly father, who was a deacon of the church, was once so grieved with the minister because he selected his text from the book of Revelation, that he took up labor with him. But how absurd to call a revelation a mystery. Before revealed it was such, but when it became a matter of revelation it was no longer a mystery. Who can conceive of a revealed mystery? The learned Dr. Scott issued an edition of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress with notes, and gave a copy to a poor washerwoman of his parish. In a few days the doctor met this unsophisticated woman, and asked her if she had read the book, to which she replied: “The book which you gave me I have read.” Could you understand it? interrogated the learned doctor. “I could understand very well what Mr. Bunyan says, and I hope by a few weeks’ study to be able to understand the notes.” This was not much of a compliment to the learning of the doctor! So with the Bible. The people who understand it as meaning what it says, do not find the difficulties which learned men argue. This is a species of popery. The Catholic church consider it dangerous for the people to be educated and furnished with the Scriptures. Herein lies their power. And to wrap the Scriptures in mysteries, to blind the eyes of the people, and to feed them Sunday after Sunday upon dishes of popular fables is the strength of the opposition. The Sabbath, and the declarations relative to it when taken as meaning just what they say, is one of the plainest of God’s revealed truths. With the Bible and the almanac to show the days of the week, the common people will not fail to see that the seventh day is the Sabbath. The ten commandments are given in so simple a style that all accountable beings whose acts are to be brought into judgment can understand them. And yet they are given in words to commend them to the most educated minds. But of all the ten, the great Author of the moral code has been more definite and particular to simplify the fourth. God first commands us to remember the Sabbath day, and then goes on to state that the Sabbath day, the rest day of the Lord our God, is the seventh day. On that day Jehovah rested after the six days of creation. He next put his blessing upon that day. And as the finishing act, he sanctified it, set it apart to a holy use. But the masses say they cannot understand it, while the real difficulty with them is, they do not want to understand it. They can understand the other nine, but when they come to the fourth commandment, which is the plainest of the ten, they say they cannot comprehend its meaning. We would here speak words of comfort to all such that if they really cannot understand the simple language of the fourth commandment they will have no accounts to settle at the bar of God, for our holy and just God does not keep accounts with idiots. Then when we come to the subject of baptism, and take the words of Christ and the apostles as meaning just what they say, all is plain again. John the Baptist led our adorable Redeemer down into Jordan, and then led him up out of the water again. Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and after the holy rite was performed, they came up out of the water. Paul uses the simple figure of the burial of the dead to illustrate baptism. His words are, “Buried with him in baptism.” And he uses words in the same chapter which if possible are still stronger: “For if we have been planted in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Behold Christ lying in Joseph’s new tomb in death, occupying a horizontal position. Baptism is to represent the very posture of the Son of God in death. To perform this, the administrator leads the candidate down into the water at a suitable depth, lays him backward until he is buried in a liquid grave in imitation of Christ’s burial, and raises him up out of the water in imitation of the resurrection of his Lord. This is Christian baptism. There is no child that has ever read the New Testament and witnessed the scene but will be impressed that this and this alone is Christian baptism. And when we come to the subject of the second advent, we take the Scriptures as meaning just what they say. When our Lord ascended from Olivet, the record states that two men appeared in white, who were doubtless angels. And as he was being taken up from the disciples, they gazed intently to catch the last glimpse of their dear Master, when the angels said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye see him go into heaven.” And as he was attended by legions of angels to his Father’s throne, so will he come again. The language of the revelation is to the point. “Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Rev. 1:7. Of his coming our Lord has said, “And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:30. And less some might erroneously apply the grand and triumphant description of the descent of our Lord, attended by all the holy angels, to the destruction of Jerusalem to Mormonism, Shakerism, Spiritualism, to departed spirits, to death, and to conversion. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica in the following words: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet him in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Should we employ the same rule of interpretation in our understanding of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, that is, to take that precept as meaning just what it says, we are forced by the plainest facts in the case, to adopt and obey the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
J. W. Change of Laborers.
By James White
OUR field of labor is widening and growing more extensive every year. And as new and important missions are opening continually, calling for the labors and executive ability of our strongest and most experienced laborers, it becomes a matter of great importance that the right men should superintend the great work in the right fields, and that there should be those changes of laborers which will be beneficial to both preachers and people. We will not at this time undertake to state the beneficial results of proper changes or the disadvantages of having the same gifts occupy the same fields year after year. These are too apparent to observing minds to need lengthy explanations. The Methodists, seeing the importance of change of gifts, have incorporated a system of changes from the Bishop down to the Itinerants. Whether the vitality and mammoth growth of this great body in past years has resulted very much from their system of changing laborers constantly to new fields, we leave the reader to judge. But the General Conference Committee do not think it the duty of their office to direct ministers to their fields of labor, or to decide the time they should remain in any one place. They regard themselves as a committee to form plans and take the supervision of their execution, and to counsel with and advise laborers as to their fields of labor. It is the general opinion that the time has come to open a mission in England, and that Elder J. N. Loughborough is the man to take charge of it. He has labored successfully the past ten years on the Pacific coast, and under God has accomplished a great and good work. And now there are three organized Conferences on that coast, one in California, one in Oregon and Washington, and one in Nevada. There are in California from ten to twenty laborers, besides Elder L. Five are ordained, and others should be ordained at their Conference in September. In the Oregon and Washington Conference there are six preachers, three of whom are ordained. The Nevada Conference is young and small. One of the young men in California will probably be ordained and sent to Nevada. In order to give some idea of the growth of the cause on the Pacific coast, we give an extract from an excellent letter from Mrs. W., dated Oakland, Cal., July 21, 1878:— "Yesterday was the Sabbath and was a precious day to the brethren in Oakland and San Francisco. The two churches met under the tent, about two hundred believers. In our first camp-meeting there were no more than this. Now these two cities alone number as many as attended our first two camp-meetings. "I spoke from 1 John 3:1–3, and had great freedom in speaking. Heaven seemed very near, and Jesus so exceedingly precious to me. I urged upon the congregation, whom God had made the depositaries of his law, a living faith exemplified by their works. If the hope was within, they must purify themselves as He is pure. This alone would give them a moral fitness to see the Saviour as he is, and to be glorified at his appearing. There was deep feeling in the congregation. The praise of God was in my heart and upon my lips, and I could not refrain from praising God with heart and voice. "After I ceased speaking, a conference meeting was held, and many precious testimonies were borne. I again spoke to the people, urging upon them the necessity of their works corresponding with their faith. Self-denial is required. Means are wanted to replenish the treasury of God. If young and old would deny themselves of the littles which are continually going out from them like a tiny stream in unnecessary indulgences to gratify the eye or the taste, or to indulge the appetite, there would be a large amount to place in God's treasury to be used to advance his cause. If those who are converted from darkness to light would take these useless and extravagant articles, such as jewelry and place them at the foot of the cross, their hearts would be freed from these idols, and God would look with approval upon the sacrifice." When we take into the account the Pacific Press located in Oakland, and the growing interest at both Oakland and San Francisco, we agree with Mrs. W. that strong men of God are wanted in these two great cities where so very much is pending, especially in the absence of Elder L. And after prayerful deliberation we decide to recommend that Elder Geo. I. Butler be chosen president of the California Conference at its session in September. Missouri will greatly miss him; and, in fact, there is not a Conference of Seventh-day Adventists who would not be glad of his labors; but as we have but few such men, while positions of very great importance are increasing, these men must be spared from posts of less importance to fill their proper places in the great work. The man who has the genius and judgment to invent, build, and use a reaper with horse power, would make a great mistake to take an old-fashioned hand sickle and go into the harvest-field to reap. And an able and judicious overseer of forty-nine common laborers would make an equally great mistake to leave his men to direct themselves while he should cease to direct others and make only a common hand himself. It is important that every man should find his proper position in the work. God has made some men to direct and other equally good men to be directed; but those that direct must be men of God, sound in head and in heart, men of piety, prayer, and good example, that they may properly impress those under their watchcare. New England is becoming a most interesting and important field. The labors bestowed in that field by Elder Canright and others the past year fully establish the fact that the time has fully come for continued efficient labors at that old head-quarters of the proclamation of the first angel's message. That discouragement which has been felt as to laboring in the territory of the first-day and no-day Adventists is passing away. We believe that there are among the Adventists, especially among the children of the old Adventists, thousands who will yet give good heed to the gospel of the third angel's message. And after prayerful consideration of this important matter we recommend that the New England Conference at its next session elect Elder E. W. Farnsworth president of their Conference, to remain several years in the New England States, and have the general supervision of the work in all New England. This dear brother had the good fortune to be born at Washington, New Hampshire, where the Sabbath was first introduced among the Adventists. And we further suggest that Elder L. McCoy be chosen president of the Iowa Conference at its next session, to take the place of Elder Farnsworth. Elder McCoy has long been known at Sigourney, Iowa, as a thorough business man, and his experience as secretary of the Iowa Conference for several years, and his success as a minister of the gospel, all of which is well known to the brethren in Iowa, are sufficient to warrant our suggestion. May the Lord guide our brethren in their deliberations in all these important matters pertaining to the welfare of the cause of God, of truth and righteousness. GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
JAMES WHITE, Chairman. Letters from Mrs. E. G. White.
By Ellen G. White
THE following we extract from private letters received from Sister White since leaving Oakland, July 28, accompanied by her daughter Mrs. Emma White, and Miss Edith Donaldson. She writes under date of July 29: “We arrived at Sacramento yesterday, and were met by Brother and Sister Wilkinson, who gave us a hearty welcome and took us to their home, where we were kindly entertained during our stay. Last night (Sunday) I spoke according to appointment. The house was well filled with an attentive congregation, and the Lord gave me freedom in speaking to them from his word. On Monday we visited the Capitol, under the guidance of Brother and Sister Wilkinson and spent some time looking through the State library, art collections and cabinets of mineral and metalurgical specimens. We were much interested in what we saw, and would have enjoyed the privilege of remaining longer in the city to farther inspect these valuable collections of the State. But we were obliged to push on the same day, in order to meet my appointment at Reno.” August 1: “We have just passed Ogden, we occupy a splendid car, and are all in good health and spirits. We shall arrive at Cheyenne to-morrow noon, when we change cars for Denver. As we passed over the great American desert in the heat and alkali dust we became very weary of the barren mountainous scenery, though we were furnished with every convenience, and glided swiftly and smoothly over the rails, drawn by our iron steed. My imagination carried me back to the ancient Hebrews, traveling over rocks and arid desert for forty years. The heat, dust and roughness of the way drew complaints and sighs of fatigue from many who trod that weary way. I thought that if we were obliged to travel on foot across the barren desert, often suffering from thirst, heat, and fatigue, very many of us would murmur more than did the Israelites. The peculiar features of mountain scenery on the overland route has often been sketched by pen and pencil. All who are delighted with the grandeur and beauty of nature must feel a thrill of joy as they behold those grand old mountains, beautiful hills, and the wild and rocky canyons. This is especially true with the Christian. He sees in the granite rocks, and the babbling streams the work of God's all-powerful hand. He longs to climb the lofty hills, for it seems that he would then be nearer heaven, though he knows that God hears the prayers of his children in the lowly valley as well as on the mountain tops.” She writes from Rollinsville, Colo., August 8: “Here we are at the old house by the spring, quite comfortable in our temporary home. We here met my husband and children. I find my husband cheerful and active, walking and working as briskly as ever. I feel grateful to God for restoring him to this degree of health. On the way from Denver to this place we stopped in Boulder City, and beheld with joy our canvas meeting-house, where Elder Cornell and Brother Olmstead are holding a series of meetings. We found a quiet, blessed retreat in the comfortable home of Sister Dartt. The tent had been loaned to hold temperance meetings in, and, by special invitation, I spoke above an hour on the subject of temperance to a tent full of attentive hearers. Though wearied by my journey, the Lord helped me to successfully present before the people the necessity of practicing strict temperance in all things of realizing our duty to make every exertion for the welfare of our fellow-men; to overcome our own tendencies to indulge in that which is hurtful to mind and body; and also to do all in our power to help others to so overcome. I presented Christ as the source of all strength. His power combined with human effort can free men from the slavery of vicious habits, and restore them to an honorable position245in society, give them enlarged capacities and enlightened views of this life and the life to come. I presented the necessity of educating the children from the cradle up to resist temptation, if we would effect any special reform in society. ‘As the twig is bent the tree inclines.’ “At the conclusion of the meeting I was congratulated by some of the principal citizens on my manner of treating the temperance subject. They declared that the only proper way was to treat it from a Christian standpoint, showing the people that they needed the help of God in order to free themselves from the bondage of intemperance. There appeared to be a general satisfaction at the result of the meeting, and a conviction that good would come from it. “The Methodist minister in Boulder City spoke Saturday night to the effect that Elder Cornell misinterpreted scripture in teaching that we are living in the last days. Many of his statements will be reviewed by Elder C. A considerable interest is growing up in that place, which has increased under the recent labors in the tent. We hope to see a good work done there for the truth of God, and sinners brought from darkness to light. “We long to see the truth triumph here in Colorado, and have much faith in the results of the labors now being carried on here. We were never more free in bearing our testimony than at the present time; and, although not able to respond to half the calls coming from different places, we mean to do all we can, trusting in the power of the God of Israel to sustain us in the work.”